There are no new wide releases this week, but a few interesting films are opening in select theaters. The most notable are Jim Jarmusch's new dramedy "Paterson" starring Adam Driver and "20th Century Women" starring Annette Bening in what many are calling a career-best performance. Also, Studio Ghibli is finally releasing a remastered version of their 1993 animated feature "Ocean Waves" in North American theaters. And for documentary fans, we have "Dr. Feelgood: Dealer or Healer", a chronicle of the controversial trial of Dr. William Hurwitz and a thoughtful look into the issue of painkiller abuse.
Synopses, details, critical reception, trailers, clips and more after the jump.
PATERSON
Official Synopsis
Paterson is a bus driver in the city of Paterson, New Jersey--they share the name. Every day, Paterson adheres to a simple routine: he drives his daily route, observing the city as it drifts across his windshield and overhearing fragments of conversation swirling around him; he writes poetry into a notebook; he walks his dog; he stops in a bar and drinks exactly one beer; he goes home to his wife, Laura. By contrast, Laura's world is ever changing. New dreams come to her almost daily. Paterson loves Laura and she loves him. He supports her newfound ambitions; she champions his gift for poetry. The film quietly observes the triumphs and defeats of daily life, along with the poetry evident in its smallest details.
Film Details
- Starring: Adam Driver, Golshifteh Farahani, Chasten Harmon, Method Man, Barry Shabaka Henley
- Director: Jim Jarmusch
- Genre: Comedy, Drama
- Running Time: 118 min.
- Rating: R for some language
Critical Reception
- Rottentomatoes: 94% (103 fresh, 6 rotten, score: 8.6/10)
- Metacritic: 89 out of 100 (27 positive, 1 mixed, 0 negative).
"Paterson" is another exceptional entry in writer/director Jim Jarmusch's career. It'a film bolstered by depth and wisdom, as well as a brilliant performance by Adam Driver.
20TH CENTURY WOMEN
Official Synopsis
During the summer of 1979, a Santa Barbara single mom and boardinghouse landlord (Annette Bening) decides the best way she can parent her teenage son (Lucas Jade Zumann) is to enlist her young tenants - a quirky punk photographer (Greta Gerwig), a mellow handyman (Billy Crudup) and her son's shrewd best friend (Elle Fanning) - to serve as role models in a changing world.
Film Details
- Starring: Annette Bening, Elle Fanning, Greta Gerwig, Billy Crudup, Lucas Jade Zumann
- Director: Mike Mills
- Genre: Comedy, Drama
- Running Time: 118 min.
- Rating: R for sexual material, language, some nudity and brief drug use
Critical Reception
- Rottentomatoes: 92% (46 fresh, 4 rotten, score: 8.2/10)
- Metacritic: 82 out of 100 (22 positive, 4 mixed, 0 negative).
"20th Century Women" is another great indie film from "Beginners" writer/director Mike Mills, a funny and emotionally resonant dramedy that features a career-best performance by Annette Bening.
OCEAN WAVES
Official Synopsis
Rarely seen outside of Japan, OCEAN WAVES is a subtle, poignant and wonderfully detailed story of adolescence and teenage isolation. Taku and his best friend Yutaka are headed back to school for what looks like another uneventful year. But they soon find their friendship tested by the arrival of Rikako, a beautiful new transfer student from Tokyo whose attitude vacillates wildly from flirty and flippant to melancholic. When Taku joins Rikako on a trip to Tokyo, the school erupts with rumors, and the three friends are forced to come to terms with their changing relationships.
Film Details
- Starring: Nobuo Tobita, Toshihiko Seki, Yoko Sakamoto, Yuri Amano
- Director: Tomomi Mochizuki
- Genre: Animation, Drama, Romance
- Running Time: 72 min.
- Rating: PG-13 for some thematic material
Critical Reception
- Rottentomatoes: 100% (7 fresh, 0 rotten, score: 7.1/10)
- Metacritic: tbd (3 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative).
Before films like "Spirited Away" made Studio Ghibli a world-renowned phenomenon, they made the 1993 TV animated feature "Ocean Waves" ("Umi ga kikoeru"). Never released in the U.S. in theaters or on home video, the film is finally making its debut, fully remastered. It's a limited release, though, so it might be tough to catch, but if it's playing somewhere near you, it's worth seeing.
DR. FEELGOOD: DEALER OR HEALER?
Official Synopsis
Dr. Feelgood: Dealer or Healer? tells the story of Dr. William Hurwitz, who was convicted of over 50 counts of narcotics distribution and was handed a 25-year prison sentence. The film traces Dr. Hurwitz's trial and eventual appeal, detailing the events that lead to his arrest. Testimonies from the witnesses in Dr. Hurwitz's case contradict one another-some revere him, while others condemn him. Taken together, their accounts reveal a profile of a compassionate yet flawed doctor. The film, in telling his story, underscores the tension between every patient's right to pain relief and the lawful need for drug control.
Film Details
- Director: Eve Marson
- Director: David Boodell, Sara Goldblatt, Mark Monroe, Eve Marson
- Genre: Documentary
- Running Time: 84 min.
- Rating: Not Rated
Critical Reception
- Rottentomatoes: 83% (5 fresh, 1 rotten, score: 7.0/10)
- Metacritic: N/A
"Dr. Feelgood: Dealer or Healer?" is a very interesting documentary that raises important questions about a very relevant issue and provides all the necessary information in a surprisingly accessible manner.
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